Shloka 9
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
Devanagari script
वसुधा भवतत्त्वेषा संन्यस्ता राजसत्तम
Transliteration
vasudhā bhavatattveṣā saṃnyastā rājasattama
Translation
ໄວສຳປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ກະສັດຜູ້ປະເສີດ, ແຜ່ນດິນນີ້—ຕາມສະພາບທີ່ແທ້ຂອງນາງ—ໄດ້ຖືກມອບໄວ້ໃນຄວາມຮັບຜິດຊອບຂອງທ່ານ»។
Word by Word
वसुधाthe earth
वसुधा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवसुधा
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
भवतत्त्वाhaving your essence/nature (i.e., of your very being)
भवतत्त्वा:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootभवतत्त्व
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
एषाthis
एषा:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
संन्यस्ताentrusted/handed over; deposited
संन्यस्ता:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसम्-नि-√अस् (न्यास)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
राजसत्तमO best of kings
राजसत्तम:
TypeNoun
Rootराजसत्तम
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
VaiśaṃpāyanaE
Earth (Vasudhā)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse frames sovereignty as stewardship: the earth/realm is not merely possessed but entrusted, implying a king’s dharma to protect, sustain, and govern in harmony with the land’s inherent order (tattva).
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses a king and states that the earth has been ‘placed in his care,’ signaling a transfer or affirmation of responsibility and authority, with an ethical emphasis on rightful governance.